The Victimisation of Backpackers
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The victimisation of backpackers Mark Israel Tourism has emerged as an important part of the Australian economy. The specialist sector of the market devoted to backpackers is surprisingly valuable: backpackers contribute just under $900 million over the year to Australia, mostly in foreign currency. They represent at least 6% of all overseas visitors to this country and provide a consistent and dependable clientele to many regions normally overlooked by other Backpackers are vulnerable to tourists. In the last ten years, cheap, conveniently-located hostels, various predatory and property eating places, coffee houses, clubs, equipment shops, and magazines have all developed to service backpackers’ needs. crimes. Over the same period, several members of the backpacking industry have expressed concern at the effect on the development of their industry of a number of well-publicised cases of the death of backpackers, in particular the murder of seven backpackers at Belanglo by Ivan Milat and the deaths of six travellers as a result of an arson attack on a Kings Cross hostel. Anyone who might have wanted to explore the victimisation of backpackers would have found little in the academic literature to help them. While there is a growing international literature on backpacking, this is largely confined to work on topics such as backpacker roles and motivation, marketing opportunities and the road culture of backpackers.1 No studies have been done on their vulnerability to crime. Indeed, there have been very few studies of the effect of crime on tourists at all. Since the importance of tourism to Australia is likely to grow, this article examines the possible contribution that victimology and criminology might make to the continued expansion of the backpacking industry. Who are backpackers? The modem phenomenon of backpacking draws on older traditions of long-term travel for the purpose of education, escape, health or occasional work. Contemporary backpackers are not easily distinguished by their economic or demographic characteristics. Instead Australian researchers prefer to use social criteria. Backpackers are generally distinguished by their approach to travel and holiday taking, namely their preference for budget accommodation, independently arranged and flexible travel, and informal and unstructured leisure activities. As Kakadu Plus, a backpacker’s guide to the Top End announced in 1993, ‘... backpackers are not tourists, they are travellers. They do not travel just to see the sights but to experience the places they visit.’ Backpackers do usually visit tourist sights but also seek non-tourist experiences. They place emphasis ‘on travel rather than tourism, on individual choice, on avoiding the package holiday-maker, on the need to be an educated traveller, and on a global operation that permits individual care and attention’.2 Over the past ten years, a number of national and regional studies Mark Israel teaches criminology in the law school at have provided profiles of backpackers in this country. We now know Flinders University of South Australia. that most backpackers are 20-29 years old and are either still studying or VOL. 24, NO. 5, OCTOBER • 1999 229 VICTIMISATION OF BACKPACKERS are young professionals in their first jobs. activities such as purchasing drugs A majority of backpackers usually travel from new sources or moving in alone or with just one other person, and the company of strangers. Local most come to Australia on holiday, offenders may find it easier, safer and though some may work while they are more profitable to rob a tourist than a travelling here. An Australian Bureau of local. They may also find it less Tourism Research survey published in morally troublesome. As Cohen 1997 found that almost 20% of reported in Thailand, tourists may be backpackers were British, 14% North considered ‘fair game’, and may be American, 11% German, while less likely to report offences or turn up Scandinavians, New Zealanders and to court to give evidence.6 Japanese each comprised between 6% For many backpackers, one of the and 8%. Other travellers came from joys of travel is the opportunity it Singapore and South-East Asia, offers to develop independence. For Switzerland, the Netherlands and other some, travelling alone is preferable, parts of Europe.3 since it allows more interactions with locals and other travellers, and might The safety of backpackers provide a better chance of receiving Generally, there have been very few free rides or local hospitality. However, studies of the incidence of crime on this also increases the chances of tourists. The findings are not contact with strangers in situations straightforward though they do point that the backpacker may find difficult consistently to the vulnerability of to control: tourists to particular kinds of offences including property ... since they do not enjoy the protection of the environmental crimes, robbery, assault, larceny, fraud and even murder. For bubble of conventional tourism, and are often prepared to example, in the United States, Chesney-Lind and Lind found engage in interaction with locals of whose background and that tourists holidaying in Hawaii were subject to higher intentions they are ignorant, they are more exposed than rates of robbery and rape than locals. In southern Spain, Per conventional tourists to acts of theft and robbery perpetrated by Stangeland reported that a major part of all burglaries and local criminals.7 petty thefts in the province of Malaga were perpetrated Put more luridly by the Age, the travellers ’ culture ‘boasts against tourists. Consequently, people faced a greater chance freedom and fast friendship but can make people easy prey of becoming a victim of crime if they came on holiday to the for creeps, con artists and killers’. Many of the precautions region for two weeks than permanent residents did over an that urban residents routinely take are less attractive to entire year. In Australia, James Walmsley and his colleagues backpackers either because they are more difficult for them found that tourist areas experienced higher than expected to take or because they are less desirable on holiday. Indeed, rates for theft, though tourists were not necessarily the there is some suggestion that travellers are more likely to victims. On the other hand, they found that these same areas drop their inhibitions while on holiday. Although Kelly had lower than expected incidences of sexual assault and attributes this to higher rates of alcohol or drug consumption drug offences.4 It is possible that concern with personal while on the road, we might speculate that travellers prefer to safety is a major factor influencing the decisions that tourists ditch their ‘everyday concerns’ in favour of a more carefree make about where they will go. Indeed, the travel industry lifestyle.8 has expressed its anxiety that panics about the safety of non-budget tourists may lead to a decline in Australian Backpackers often cannot or choose not to afford to take market share. Reports in the Australian media have safer options: hitch-hiking is cheaper than paying for a suggested that conventional Japanese tourists have been put ticket. However, travelling as cheaply as possible, and off travelling to Australia because of the high risk of criminal paying as little as possible for accommodation affords victimisation.5 backpackers access to the least desirable aspects of a society: We know less about the levels of crime against Like the mass-tourist, the mass-drifter also gets a biased picture backpackers or what importance backpackers attach to of the host society; the latter’s perspective, however, is personal safety when planning where to go. However, there diametrically opposed to that of the former: the one looks at the are good reasons to believe that backpackers are particularly host country from the lofty heights of an air-conditioned hotel vulnerable to victimisation, either aimed against their person room; the other from the depths of the dust-bin.9 or their property. If commentators have addressed the issue, In the 1990s, hitch-hiking has come to be seen as a they have attributed backpackers’ high risk to a series of potentially deadly experience. Magazines such as the personal and situational factors. These have included: Backpackers Guide warn against it: ‘... with some nutters backpackers’ position as strangers in the places that they around — you are not even safe in pairs! We could suggest visit; their preference for independence which removes them travelling with a machine gun, but since this is illegal, from the protection of package travel; their desire to travel another form of transport is advisable and mum and dad will within a limited budget; their vulnerable strategies for sleep a lot better, as well. ’ The Lonely Planet books now also transporting and storing possessions; and the development advise against it. Nevertheless there is plenty of evidence of myths about backpackers among host populations. I wish that backpackers do continue to hitch, and often see it as a to examine each of these possibilities in more detail. good way of meeting Australians and other travellers. In As strangers, backpackers are not known in the local addition, backpackers may be travelling with larger amounts community; they are often highly visible, may be unaware of of cash or with more expensive goods like cameras or local ‘predatory hot spots’, and may undertake risky portable CD players than locals might normally carry. They 230 ALTERNATIVE LAW JOURNAL VICTIMISATION OF BACKPACKERS may also have less control over where and when they leave stabbed or shot in the previous four years. Many of the them. victims had disappeared while hitchhiking south of Sydney. Finally, myths surrounding travellers may encourage The British tabloids splashed coverage of the death of two locals to target them for victimisation. Breach of local social young English women: ‘Cold-blooded murder of girl customs and restrictions such as moral notions of the adventurers’, ‘Beast of the Bush’, ‘Crocodile Dundee Adventure Girls are found Dead in Wood’.